Innocent
by Imp1
Summary: D/G, Ginny isn't as sweet and innocent as every one thinks, and Draco isn't as evil--->just read I suck at summaries! r/r
1. Default Chapter

Authors note:  
  
This is my first D/G fanfic, so feel free to criticize my work. I would really like to here what people think of my writing.  
  
Ginny is my fave character by far in the Harry Potter Series, and I love trying to portray how I think her character will end up. This fic will be based around Ginny (of course) and will be mostly from her POV.  
  
Ships: D/G (of course) I'll have a bit of R/Hr on the side I don't know who I'll have Harry with as of yet, I might make it will an original character, or no one at all  
  
I'll have old characters you know and love reappearing (yay Sirius and Remus!)  
  
Summary (best I can do of one n e way): Dumbledore puts together an advanced training course because of the threat against Voldermort. People who are in the most danger, and believed capable of handling it are asked to join. The trio is shocked when Ginny shows up (Ron being Ron and not wanting his baby sister involved in something like this)  
  
Draco is also involved in it (which seems crazy since he's an evil death eater right??)  
  
Well lets just say that Ginny is determined to prove her peers wrong, and some unsuspecting feelings start developing between her and a certain supposed evil death eater.  
  
-now you can get on reading the story!! ( 


	2. prologue

Disclaimer: I claim none of the ownership for any characters in this fic that belong to the great and powerful JK Rowling. However any of the characters that have not appeared in one of the HP books belong solely to MOI!! The plot is also one of my own creations. Happy reading!  
  
"Kill him" The snake like voice hissed in menacing demand.  
  
Draco raised his wand and pointed it straight at the cowering muggle before him. This is it, he told himself. Just kill the sniveling being and be done with it. Draco's life had basically led up to this moment. He could feel the stares of the other death eaters on his back, willing him to commit the crime and become one of them. His father had talked of almost nothing but the great and powerful dark lord, and how it was an honor to be considered his true follower. Today he was to be initiated, today he would commit himself to Voldermort and carry his mark, and all he had to do was kill a worthless muggle. Than why are you hesitating?? It will not look good to disobey Voldermort first order. The problem was Draco knew very well why he was hesitating. His father had glorified every aspect of being a death eater. He made it sound like the most powerful, and sought after position in the entire wizarding world. Draco had listened to him, and drank in every detail, sorry that he would never get to be a part of it. But in his fourth year, Voldermort returned, and he had never seen his father more excited. Lucius had gone on and on about the life he would have once he was initiated into Voldermorts inner circle. He had made it sound like nothing could possible happen that would be more satisfying.Then Draco had seen the reality. Aside from the fact that Voldermort was disgustingly hideous in appearance (and Draco prided himself on appearance). His followers were nothing more than terrified slaves. They called him 'master' and were tortured if he was displeased. He had watched in disgust as each Death Eater took their turn in kissing the hem of their master's robes. His father had happened to leave that part out. Draco listened as the meeting progressed, and the death eaters listened raptly to Voldermorts lunatic ranting about how he would one day prove he was the superior wizard to Harry Potter. For gods sake, Draco hated the boy wonder as much as the next wizard, but Voldermort was obsessed.  
  
Now it was time for him to 'prove himself.' All Draco had to do was kill a muggle. He had never even met the guy, and he had been mercilessly tortured for a few days already. In retrospect, it would be kind to put the bloke out of his misery. Growing up with a father like Lucius Malfoy, Draco had never cared if someone had been killed, it just wasn't a big deal when you're raised by Malfoys. Draco however, had never actually killed anyone, or even been the cause of a death indirectly. Now, when he was expected to commit his first murder, it seemed he was developing a conscious. What was the point after all? Draco loved to prove he was better, and more powerful than any one else, but what was the point if you just killed people who got into your way. Then who would you rub in your superiority to? To rub defeat in someone else's face was the best part of having power over them, what good would it do to be like Voldermort and just kill everyone you didn't like?  
  
Draco had been standing there, in the middle of a Death Eater initiation ceremony for a dangerous amount of time without doing anything. He some how got the impression that if he asked to be excused from this evil meeting, and not become a Death Eater after all, that it wouldn't go over well. From what he had heard and witnessed, the Dark Lord was not one you disobeyed, and expect to get away with your limbs intact. He could here his harsh breathing through the tense silence, and the cracking of footsteps announced someone approaching him.  
  
"Having second thoughts?" The voice hissed viciously. "I would have thought a son of Lucius would be overjoyed at any opportunity to slaughter a pathetic muggle!. Maybe you just need a little encouragement." With that said, Voldermort muttered 'crucio'.  
  
Draco felt his whole body tense in an unreal amount of pain. He had never known pain of the like before, he fell to the ground, his screams the only thing that could be heard slicing through the summer night air. He wanted to die, he had never thought that before, but the only coherent thought running through his head was 'Kill me, just kill me and end the torture." Now he knew, without a doubt why that was an unforgivable curse. Seconds that felt like hours went by before Draco felt the curse lift. He managed to get up enough strength to kneel, his breaths were ragged, and he could feel the aftermath of the curse, as if all of his bones were bruised, and scratched. Voldermort moved in front of him, looking down at the boy kneeling before him with a satisfied smile. "Now you know what happens when you displease me, and keep in mind that that was but a warning. I decided to go lightly on you seeing as you are only 16, but the next time I won't be so kind." Voldermorts words were drawn together in snake like hisses that carried to the other watching Death Eaters in the wind. No one had trouble hearing him, seeing as they were to afraid to do anything but breath as quietly as possible so as to not interrupt him.  
  
Little did the Dark Lord know, but by demonstrating his superiority in the mastering of the unforgivable curses, he had made up Draco's mind to do anything possible to get the hell out of this situation. Draco was NOBODY's slave. Sure he desired power, but what kind of power would he really have if he committed himself to sniveling at the Dark Lords feet and following out his every order. Voldermort was the only one who got any power out of this arrangement; his 'followers' were nothing but mindless slaves he uses to do his dirty work. If anything, Voldermort was nothing but a coward who has a power drive, but is too afraid to go out there and get what he wants the hard way. Instead, he brainwashes a bunch of slaves to kill anyone who will prove to be competition to him. Sorry, but that wasn't Draco's style. He mustered up as much strength as he possibly could for the insane, suicidal act he was planning. While Voldermort ranted on again about the fate of those who crossed him, Draco managed to overcome the worst after effects of the curse, and concentrate on the magical energy flowing through him. He had been studying Apparation, because according to his father, after he became a Death Eater he would need to know how to do it. He still hadn't managed to master it, but he could probably get himself far enough away from these waco's to run for it. Clutching his wand tightly, and calling up every magical bit of energy he could muster in himself he heard the faint 'pop' and his world went black. 


	3. chapter one

Disclaimer: I claim none of the ownership for any characters in this fic that belong to the great and powerful JK Rowling. However any of the characters that have not appeared in one of the HP books belong solely to MOI!! The plot is also one of my own creations. Happy reading!  
  
  
  
Ginny sat in her cramped bedroom, her mind so deeply involved in the leather bound book she had propped on her knees to notice anything else around her.  
  
'Flame encasement is considered a dark art, but can be a useful method of protection from that very thing. The black, scorching flames will surround the object/person the curse is directed at with flames that create a combination of burning and freezing embers that will trap the thing they surround for a span of 10 minutes. The flames are real and will do enough harm to the person to get hit with the curse, to prevent them from retaliating in kind. This curse is learnt by few because it takes a great amount of magical ability..'  
  
"Cool." Ginny murmured when she finished the paragraph. She had come across this book by rummaging through her brothers old trunks stashed in the attic. Bill had taken advanced DADA, and had needed to read up on many Dark Arts curses in order to get his job as a curse breaker in Egypt. Obviously, this had led him to borrow many different books only found in the Restricted Section in the library at Hogwarts. Somehow, he had managed to forget to return this particular one called 'Dark Arts, Curses and Hexes You Shouldn't Use On Your School Mates' and Ginny had found it while looking for a second hand 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five' she could use this upcoming school year. Thinking that it would probably be a more interesting read than her assigned school books, she had used a quick illusion charm to change the cover page and had been reading it in her spare time ever since.  
  
Ginny had always had a weird fascination with the dark arts, not that she would ever use them, she just liked to study and learn about them. Lets face it; they were quite a bit more interesting than Herbology. She had also refrained from telling anyone about this new past time of hers, because her family would most defiantly NOT understand. They still looked at her as the baby of the family, who should be sheltered, and protected from anything corruptive. After that whole mess with Tom Riddle's diary, it seemed (if possible) that they became even more protective than before. If they ever found out that she was secretly studying dark arts, they would just act shocked, and forbid it. She could almost here their reactions.  
  
"Ginny honey, there is just no need for it! Such knowledge would be too disturbing for a sweet little girl like you" would be her parents reply.  
  
"Planning on joining You-Know-Who's forces little Gin-Gin? There something you're not telling us about yourself?" Fred and George would come up with something like that and never let her live it down.  
  
"Ginny! Dark Arts are evil! Only dark wizards like Snape and Malfoy study that type of thing." Typical Ron response, tell her she's wrong and diss Snape and Malfoy well he's at it.  
  
Ginny sighed, she loved her family and all, but they just didn't understand her at all. When they looked at her all they see is 'sweet innocent little Ginny'. They didn't even realize how good she was in potions, probably the only Gryffindor to avoid losing house point in Snape's class at every chance. She was probably the best in her year, even better than Hermione was at her age in a few classes. DADA, potions, charms and Care of Magical creatures were her strong points. The reason no one saw her talent, was because where she excelled was evened out by her other classes that always succeeded in bringing down her average grade.  
  
Ginny didn't care though; she really didn't want the attention. She wasn't made a prefect this year and that didn't come as a surprise or a disappointment. Even though her grades were better than the other girls in her year, she never participated in anything, and wasn't looked at as leader material.  
  
Thinking about this coming school year reminded her of another year she would have to put up with being ignored and overlooked. Ginny had no close friends at school, though this thought was quite depressing, she had no plans to make any. Ginny had opened up to a stranger once, she had been naive and innocent at the time, and wanted nothing more than to have someone to confide in, and to understand her feelings. She had gotten that, but for a great price. Tom had taken advantage of her trust in him and slowly sucked out her life energy. Her trust had almost been the cause of her death, along with countless others. Since that day, Ginny had been weary of opening up to anyone. She would NOT be used like that again. She had also ensured that she would never be so naïve as to allow someone that privilege.  
  
Once, Ginny had been the blissfully innocent girl everyone still thought she was, but that Ginny had died with Tom Riddle's diary. She had studied beyond her years for school, and had learned about the harsh reality of life. If anything, Ginny Weasley learned from her mistakes.  
  
Her door being slammed open knocked her out of her thoughts; she quickly shoved her book under her bed just as a head with bushy brown hair was backing into her room. Hermione, of course, Ginny thought to herself. She had been so caught up in reading she almost forgot Harry and Hermione were coming today.  
  
Ginny sighed, it wasn't that she didn't like Hermione, she was really nice to her and all, but her arrival also meant barely any privacy left for Ginny. Ginny liked to take sanctuary in her room, but that wasn't possible when someone else was sharing it with you.  
  
"Hey Hermione, need a hand?" Ginny asked politely. That's what everyone expected of her after all; to be perfectly polite and sweet to everyone, why disappoint them? It would only lead to unwanted prying into her life, with everyone wondering what had gotten into her lately.  
  
"Yeah, thanks Ginny, my trunk is heavier than ever this year." Hermione panted as she continued to drag her trunk through the doorway.  
  
Ginny picked up her wand, preparing to do a simple levitating spell. "Wingardium leviosa!" she said lazily.  
  
Hermione gasped as her trunk shot up over her head and made it's way slowly over to the corner beside Ginny's pile of school stuff. Ginny was shocked when the spell seemed to have trouble keeping the trunk from crashing to the ground.  
  
"What the hell do you have in here Hermione, the spell can barely hold it up!" Ginny exclaimed, while lowering the trunk with not a little bit of effort to the ground. She exhaled her breath when no damage seemed to have come to her floor with the impact.  
  
Hermione completely ignoring the question started in on Ginny, "What do you think your doing?" She demanded in her bossy voice.  
  
Ginny merely blinked at her, a slight smile wanted to play at her lips but she kept her face skillfully blank. Hermione was obsessed with rules (almost as bad as Percy.almost), so Ginny knew with certainty what would come next. "What do you mean? I just got your trunk into the room for you." She replied innocently.  
  
"You know perfectly well what I mean! You're not to do magic during the summer! I know living in a wizarding home lets you get away with it because it can barely be detected but the rule is put in place for your own safety! Not to mention the safety of others!" Hermione's cheeks had flushed in anger or enthusiasm, Ginny couldn't tell. She did know how much Hermione loved giving lectures though, and figured she really was relieved that she didn't have to lug her trunk any farther.  
  
Ginny merely smiled and said, "Sorry Hermione, you're right, I could have dropped the trunk right on your head or something! I guess living at the burrow, constantly surrounded by magic, it is easy to forget your not supposed to do any. I promise to be more careful." Ginny almost laughed when Hermione started beaming her pride. She supposed Harry and Ron never even pretended to take her lectures seriously.  
  
  
  
That night at dinner, Ginny dressed in her best muggle style sundress. It was blue, and the person who sold it to her said it set off her hair. Her mother had been skeptical, because of the snug fit, and the fact that it showed off her calves, but the nice sale lady convinced her it was perfect choice for a young lady. The real reason her mother had given in had ultimately been the fact that it had been one of the few things on sale.  
  
To her family's dismay, Ginny had developed the body of a young woman over the summer. Thus making it virtually impossible to continue wearing her brother's hand-me-downs. Her mother had brought her to a muggle shop in Ottery Street Catchpole, and had purchased a few outfits that would last her throughout the summer and the school year to come. She would also have to get her some new robes for school to accommodate Ginny's new figure. Ginny couldn't help but feel bad that she was costing her parents money that they really didn't have, but it really wasn't her fault she was growing up.  
  
As she and Hermione entered the packed kitchen, Ginny caught her first sight of Harry sitting with Ron most probably discussing quidditch.  
  
"Alright, Harry." She greeted absently as she and Hermione took seats at the table.  
  
Harry spared her a glance and smiled his hello. A few years back, Ginny probably would have fainted at that much acknowledgement from the Boy Who Lived. Thankfully, she had gotten over her embarrassing crush, but unfortunately had yet to live it down when it came to her brothers. Considering that Harry had never paid any attention to her for the last five years, it gave her quite a shock when she saw him do a bit of a double take and look her over like he had never seen her before.  
  
"Hi Ginny." He said, it almost sounded a bit amazed, like he couldn't believe Ginny was actually a real live female. He completely removed himself from the conversation with Ron, (who didn't even seem to notice because he was openly goggling at Hermione in his usual fashion.) Ginny saw Hermione blush under Ron's intense scrutiny and rolled her eyes. They had been dancing around each other for a year already. It was obvious they both liked each other, but neither was brave enough to admit it out loud. While she was observing this, Harry took the opportunity to switch to the seat beside her.  
  
"You look really nice today." He said shyly.  
  
Ginny couldn't help but smile at his nervousness. He was really cute after all. Too bad she felt nothing but that for him any longer. Ginny sighed bitterly, could Harry finally be noticing her, after five years of never sparing her a second glance. Did he even realize how much that had hurt her? Probably not, he was just a guy, and if he were anything like her brothers he wouldn't notice anything at all. Ginny decided to play along, see what was going through that head of his.  
  
"Thanks." She replied, batting her lashed trying not to burst out laughing. "Mum had to buy me some new clothes because my brothers didn't fit any longer." Ginny tried to look him in the eye well saying this, but couldn't help but notice that his eyes weren't on her face.  
  
She barely controlled herself from letting out a disgusted sound. Typical, typical, hormone driven teenage boy! She had heard the things Fred and George said about Angelina and Alicia's figures. At the time she had thought sorrowfully that no one would ever think of her that way, but there was no mistaking that look in Harry's eyes. It was the same one all of her brothers had gotten when they started on about one of the pretty girls from school. Harry might suddenly like the way she looked, but he didn't know a damn thing about her! However a particularly female thrill made it's way through her moral thoughts. Harry thought she was good looking! Did that mean that other boys might start to notice her too? She pushed that thought away disbelievingly. Watching Harry's face, she noticed he now seemed to be going through some kind of inner turmoil.  
  
At one point, she might have been worried about him, but this boy had so many problems, and had never once expressed a need to let her try and help. They drifted into an awkward silence, almost as bad as the one Ron and Hermione were stuck in permanently. Ginny looked around at the other people in the kitchen. Fred and George were trying to slip bits of their inventions into the desert, while Molly was busy bustling around other parts of the kitchen. Percy had finally moved out (much to Ron's delight) and was living with his wife Penelope Clearwater in Hogsmeade. Bill and Charlie had returned from Romania and Egypt but were working for Dumbledores 'Order of the Pheonix' so they were rarely home. Arthur was reading The Daily profit with a worried tense look he seemed to carry permanently. Voldermort had laid low for the first year after his rebirth. Now that he had recovered most of his dark forces (with the exception of most giant and werewolves thanks to Hagrid and Rumus Lupin) he was throwing the wizarding world into panic. There was a death eater attack about once a week, mostly muggles so far, but that was sure to change when he was back into full power. Her father was no doubt reading up on another attack.  
  
"Anything new dad?" She asked cautiously.  
  
Arthur looked up as if just noticing everyone was here, "Oh, no nothing for you to worry about dear." He said reassuringly.  
  
Ginny scowled. She also made a mental note to sneak a look at the paper later tonight. She noticed Harry was still in deep thought, sneaking the odd glance her way then pretending he hadn't. She was extremely grateful when her mother magiced all of the food to the middle of the table and everyone became distracted while piling food onto their plates.  
  
"Harry, Hermione, I suppose you two were made prefects again this year?" Mrs. Weasley asked proudly when everyone had his or her share of food. She treated both as if they were her own kids, and was therefore extremely proud of their accomplishments.  
  
Hermione beamed. "Yes, I was pretty worried that I wouldn't get the spot though, seeing as how Lavender had been getting pretty good grades lately."  
  
She was interrupted by Ron's snort of disbelief. "C'mon Erm-ion-ee, your smar-est in the year!" he reassured through a mouthful of chicken and mashed potatoes.  
  
Hermione just blushed while Mrs. Weasley scolded Ron for his table manners.  
  
  
  
"Mum, did you get all our stuff today in Diagon Ally?" Ginny questioned, she was ridiculously eager to try on her new female school robes. She knew that they weren't that different, but they would probably look better, and fit more comfortable. Mrs. Weasley had taken her measurements the night before, and gone shopping this morning.  
  
"Yes, I've got all the bags out in the living room for you lot to go through later. Ginny, because of all your new robes, I'm afraid you will have to go look in the attic for most of your books, I'm sure one of your brothers needed the same ones at some point.  
  
"That's no problem mum." Ginny reassured, she already had most of her booklist and had been reading them from her periodic searches of the attic already. She was too happy about not having to go to school in second hand robes to care about the state of her books.  
  
After dinner, everyone figured out whose stuff was who's and left to pack the rest into their trunks. They would be leaving for Platform 9 3/4 tomorrow morning and Mrs. Weasley was threatening anyone who dared not to packed beforehand.  
  
Ginny and Hermione were both having a considerable amount of trouble packing their trunks. Hermione's heavy trunk problem was revealed as stacks upon stacks of books, stuffed as closely as possible. When Ginny asked what they were all for, Hermione said she had bought them in Diagon Ally last year, and were all very interesting reads. Ginny just shook her head, she would bet her last galleon that Hermione had most of them memorized. Ginny was having trouble, because she was trying to sneak a bunch of battered books she had found in the attic into her trunk without Hermione asking questions about it. Most of them were advanced curses and curse breaking techniques from Bill. However Charlie had a collection of Magical Creature books that looked to be mostly about big and dangerous monsters and such. Percy had advanced books in every subject, so she acquired some potions and transfiguration stuff as well. She was hoping to bring up her transfiguration grade this year; so a little extra material wouldn't help (even if her brothers didn't study it until their seventh year)  
  
Ginny didn't sleep well that night. Aside from the fact Hermione kept making weird sounds in her sleep that would sometimes come very close to sounding like 'Ron', she was dreading the year to come. She had always looked forward to going to Hogwarts when she was young. Now, all she wanted was to get these years over with so she could move out and get a job somewhere. She could start her life over, independently. But there were three years of torture left, and tomorrow would be the start on another one. 


	4. chapter two

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that belong to JKR (obviously) I do own the original ones though_**

**CHAPTER TWO **

The journey to platform nine and three-quarters was anything but enjoyable. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had all packed into the Neon Mr. Weasley had acquired from one of his friends at work. Mr. Weasley had only managed to magically enlarge the insides of the car about a foot before Mrs. Weasley caught him and lectured him about Muggles not all being as stupid as we make them sound. 

Hermione and Ron had gotten into one of their infamous bickering sessions about homework and classes. Harry had rolled his eyes dramatically before turning and directing his attention on Ginny. It seemed Ginny had waited forever for Harry to direct his attention to her. Now that it was happening however, it seemed so...it just wasn't like Ginny had expected. She really didn't look any different than she did last year, her hair still tumbled down her back in unruly waves. She had pale skin, dotted with freckles across her nose. Her eyes were a boring brown color, and she wore no make up. The only thing that was different was the fact that she had finally gotten robes that fit her figure instead of hiding it. 

"So...Ginny, you have your OWL's this year?" Harry made an attempt to have a conversation with her. He really knew nothing about her, Ginny mused, so it was fitting that he wouldn't know what to talk about to catch her interests. _He had five years to fix that, I'm not throwing him a bone now._ Ginny told herself smugly. For some reason she was getting great pleasure out of having Harry squirm, and maybe even feel a fraction of the the hurt he caused her when he didn't see her when she wanted him to. 

"Yes." Ginny answered simply. Even Harry couldn't miss the obvious bored tone of her voice. 

"Well...then your going to need to do a lot of studying. If you want, I could...you know...help you out...considering I've already taken them and all." 

"I don't think I'll need much help." Ginny answered coolly. "But if I do I'll be sure to ask." she flashed him a bright false smile, but Harry seemed satisfied with that and didn't talk to her for the rest of the drive. 

_How could I have thought I was in love with him?_ Ginny asked herself incredulously. _I should have listened to Parvati when she was complaining about Harry not appreciating girls. _

"Alright! Everybody out!" Mrs. Weasley ordered from the front seat, as the car came to a stop in front of Kings Cross station. The next five minutes were spent hustling around the too small car, loading trunks, distraught owls, and Crookshanks onto the trolleys. With only minutes to spare they made it through the barrier and were heaving their luggage into compartments on the bright red steam engine. 

Ginny followed Ron, Harry and Hermione into the compartment at the back of the train. She didn't fancy a whole train ride with only them for company, but she didn't want to find any of the people from her own year either. Maybe she would run into Colin later, she thought, but he still wasn't what she would call a close friend. He was however the closest thing she had to one at Hogwarts. If he would get over that stupid obsession with Harry he might be more tolerable to hang around. Besides, he probably had Kayla Patterson hanging all over him. Ginny scowled at the thought. She definitely didn't want to be around that air head for any longer than possible, and Kayla felt the same way about Ginny. This proved difficult however, when one was forced to share sleeping quarters with the one you wanted to avoid. Kayla was also a Gryffindor fifth year, along with Cassandra, Gloria, and April. Ginny was not looking forward to spending another year with only them for company. Kayla and Cassandra were the pretty popular ones in the group, while April was shy and just followed them around. Gloria was the 'brain', but she was still pretty and gossiped enough to be included in their group. Gloria would talk to Ginny in classes, and was always friendly enough, but avoided her anywhere else. Ginny was positive that this was because of Kayla, or Cassandra. They had taken an immediate dislike to one and other, probably because of the rumors surrounding Ginny after the Chamber of Secrets incident. No one knew for certain what had happened, aside from most of the staff, Harry Ron, and Hermione. That didn't stop the rumors though. Ginny had never fit in with their group and was considered odd. They tended to just stay away from her. That, combined with the rumors that spread, no one at school really knew what to think of her. 

No one commented on her staying in their compartment, so Ginny took a seat by the window and pretended to be asleep to avoid Harry's attempts at conversation. Sure she was being rude, she even felt bad about it for an instant, but he was extremely awkward and brought up the most pointless subjects. When Harry gave up and let her sleep, he turned to Ron and Hermione and started to argue with them. 

Hours had passed, before a a rough spot on the track jolted Ginny awake._ I must have_ _ actually fell asleep_, she thought happily. After not getting any the night before she was relieved she wouldn't look like a walking zombie her first day back. Keeping her eyes closed to avoid the flood of light, Ginny was about to ask someone the time. He actions were halted however, when she heard Harry mutter, "Don't worry Ginny's still asleep." 

"Well, have you heard from him then?" Ron asked impatiently. Ginny realized she was probably shouldn't be listening in on this conversation, but she was far too interested to pay any attention to her morals. 

"Yeah...Sirius and Remus are out doing something for Dumbledore, he won't tell me what though. Sirius said he'll come by and visit around Halloween if all goes as planned." Even though they thought Ginny was asleep, Harry was talking in a whisper. Ginny hadn't heard anything interesting yet, so she didn't see a reason for them to be so secretive. However, she might have thought differently if she had put the right identity to those two names. 

"Do you think they're gone after Pettigrew?" Ginny heard Hermione ask. _Pettigrew..._Ginny thought, _why does that name sound familiar?_

"I hope they catch the thilthy little rat." Ron growled, but was still able to keep his voice down, despite the obvious hatred he felt. Ginny was surprised, she had never heard Ron express that much hatred to any one but Malfoy and Snape. This was getting very interesting, and Ginny was getting a naughty little thrill out of finding out one of the 'dream teams' many mysteries. 

"I hope they do to, but if Sirius is caught he'll be thrown right back into Azkaban. Wait, they won't even do that, they'll just kill him out right." There was obvious worry in Harry's voice. Ginny heard Ron and Hermione trying to comfort him, but she was to stunned to care. _Sirius, the only Sirius I know about is Sirius Black. _Ginny was so shocked she almost fell off her seat. Luckily she managed to keep her composure before anyone noticed she was in fact wide awake and listening to private conversations. At first her mind tried to convince herself she must have been mistaken, but really, how many Sirius' were roaming around trying not to get thrown **back** into Azkaban? 

Only one. 

The only person to ever break out of Azkaban was Sirius Black. Wow, these three kept even more secrets than people suspected. 

_Pettigrew_, the name popped back into her head. She was positive she had heard the name before but couldn't place it. _Oh, well probably not even remotely important after what I just heard._

Harry sighed before changing the subject to something else that lost Ginny's interest immediately. This left her free to contemplate the information she had just been supplied. Sirius Black was coming to visit Harry around Halloween..._does Dumbledore know about this?_ Ginny thought panicked. Then she remembered what he had said about Sirius doing something for Dumbledore. 

_What the hell is an escaped convict doing helping Dumbledore and visiting the boy he was supposed to want dead?_

There was no way Black could be innocent, there had been tons of eye witnesses when he had murdered all those Muggles and poor Peter Pettigrew. 

_Holy shit._ That was Ginny's only capable thought when she realized what her mind had just stumbled across. 

About an hour later Ginny still didn't know what to think. It was obvious that Pettigrew wasn't dead. Therefore Black couldn't have killed him, but what about all of those Muggles? Black was working for Dumbledore, which meant he probably was innocent, and most probably _not _working for Voldemort. 

But she still had a million unanswered questions. 

Such as: How the hell did he escape Azkaban if not through Dark Arts? 

Why would he be visiting Harry instead of killing him? 

Where was Pettigrew all the years he was supposed to be 'dead'? 

If Black is looking for Pettigrew by the instruction of Dumbledore, does that mean that Pettigrew should have been the one in Azkaban instead of Black... 

....the list could go on and on. Ginny wanted answers to all of these questions, but she figured 'waking up' and asking for them might not be the best idea. 

When Ginny felt the train come to a stop, she was shaken by Harry, "Wake up Ginny, we're here." Ginny made a point of opening her eyes slowly, and stretching languidly before standing up. "I can't believe I slept that whole time!" She said in her well practiced 'innocent-little-girl' voice. No one even batted an eye lash, assuming she wouldn't have a reason to lie about something like sleeping. 

On the way out she caught Ron exclaiming unbelievingly that they hadn't had a run in with Malfoy yet. Usually he showed up at least once at their compartment. He would then infuriate them all as much as possible before escaping behind his wall of bodyguards (i.e. Crabbe and Goyle). Ginny was even surprised when she heard this announcment, picking on Gryffindors was usually Malfoy's favorite past time. Harry, Ron and Hermione were his most targeted victims. _Oh well_, she thought_. I have enough to try to figure out aside from Malfoy's lack of insults. _

In the Great Hall, Ginny sat between Harry and Colin. Colin greeted her warmly before getting an elbow in the ribs and a dark look from Kayla on his other side. He obediently ignored Ginny for the rest of the sorting and feast. _My classmates are like puppies._ Ginny thought amused, and irritated at the same time. April, and Gloria both listened raptly and enviously to Cassandra telling them about her summer boyfriend. Cassandra had Spanish background and had an exotic beauty about her. She had already had so many boyfriends even she had lost count. Kayla didn't mind being disclosed from the conversation, only because she was busy flirting and whining to Colin about how much she missed him over the holidays. Colin was completely dazed by her big blue eyes and pretty golden waves of hair to care what she was saying. John, Joey and Adam (the other fifth year boys) were casting resentful, jealous looks at Colin. Aside from an aloof greeting, none of them even acknowledged Ginny's presence. 

Harry would try to engage her in conversation when he wasn't immersed in one with Ron and Hermione (which wasn't often). The rest of the time, Ginny used to look around the Hall at the rest of the Houses. Ginny smiled at the bunches of nervous first years at the end of every table. She remembered when that had been her. She had been so looking forward to coming here, making friends, learning to become a real witch. Well, that hadn't turned out like she expected, but at least she would become a real witch... 

That's when she noticed something odd at the Slytherin table. It wasn't really that odd, just different. Malfoy was usually right in the center of attention, people surrounding him, hanging onto his every word like he was god. Today, he was at the end of the table separated from the rest of his house. Only a few people Ginny didn't recognize the names of were surrounding him, along with Delphinium, who was a girl in Ginny's Potions and Care of Magical Creatures class. His hired body guards, Crabbe and Goyle were almost at the opposite end of the table lost in the crowd of Slytherins. The other Slytherins seemed to be completely ignoring Malfoy and his little group, either that, or were shooting them disgusted looks. Malfoy didn't look as if he cared at all, and was still wearing his smug, 'I'm better than everyone' expression. 

As if he sensed her gaze, Draco looked up from where he was seated across the Hall and caught her curious gaze with his steely gray one. Ginny felt her face heat up and Draco smirked as she looked hurriedly down at her plate. 

_I just got caught staring at a Malfoy_ She thought to herself disgustedly. 

The next morning Ginny woke up fifteen minutes later than she should have. "Damnit." she muttered sleepily. "They could have at least woken me up." As she opened her velvet hangings, it was confirmed that all her dorm mates were long gone to breakfast. Ginny continued to mumble a string of incoherent obscenities as she padded over and took a quick shower before using a drying spell on her hair and throwing on one of her new robes. 

Ginny ran through a completely empty Gryffindor Tower and made her way as quickly as possible to the Great Hall. Even the Great Hall was practically empty by the time she reached it. Harry and Ron were currently being dragged out of their seats by a stern looking Hermione. "If we don't leave now we'll be late for Potions!" Ginny heard her exclaim. Ginny almost laughed at the dread that crossed her brothers features at the word Potions. 

Harry was the first to spot Ginny hurrying into the Hall. "Ginny! You're going to be late, you'd better pick up your schedule." He looked like he wanted to talk further, but Hermione wouldn't have it. "Come ON!" She demanded taking each of them by the arm. (Ron didn't look like he minded the contact that much) Aside from a few bored looking seventh years, Ginny was the only one left at Gryffindor's table. She picked up her schedule and a slice of toast and made her way out of the Hall. 

Her first class this term was to be Care of Magical Creatures. At lease _Hagrid probably won't give me detention for being late._ Ginny thought relieved. 

As she trudged across the field, she could see the rest of her class already sitting outside the paddock in front of Hagrid's cabin. Everyone looked up as Ginny reached them, slightly out of breath. 

"Ginny, yer late." Hagrid observed. 

"Sorry Professor, it won't happen again." Ginny replied sitting down behind the rest of the Gryffindors and beside Delphinium, the Slytherin she saw with Malfoy yesterday. 

"Alrigh, I'll let you go with a warnin because it's the firs day." Hagrid said gruffly. "Now, on with the lesson. "These here are Ezless, they're part bird and part snake. I managed to get my hands on three. They are very hard to get a hold of, mind, so be careful around them." With that said Hagrid opened a crate that stood behind him on a small table. Inside were three different colored birds (one was black and green, one was red, and one was black and purple.) They had fluffy little bodies that could probably fit in the palm of your hand. Their heads however were the heads of snakes, protruding from their cute fluffy bodies. They also had a snake like tail, along with bird's wings. After Ginny's initial shock of seeing two creatures that were nothing alike forming one being, she decided that the creatures were rather cute, in an interesting kind of way. 

"Now, no one knows all of the abilities of the Ezless, each one seems to develop it's own individual talent. They are very rarely kept as pets, but when they find someone to look after 'em they will be fiercely loyal. You can't just go out and decide you want one as a pet and choose, the Ezless will choose it's master, it won' stay with someone who it hasn' chosen to be with. 

The class listened to Hagrid's lesson in odd fascination, or in the case of the Kayla and Cassandra pure disgust. ("Look at how ugly that thing is...") ("Who would want anything with a snake head as a pet?") Ginny scowled at their backs, while silently thinking the only pet's those would consider owning would be kittens and puppies. 

"_Why did they even take this bloody class?"_ Ginny hissed under her breath. The only person to hear her was Delphinium who was beside her, also throwing dirty looks at the two Gryffindors in front of them. Delphinium gave Ginny a startled/weary glance before directing her attention slowly back to lesson Hagrid was giving. 

Ginny went through the rest of the lesson studying the odd creatures set in front of the class. They were really quite beautiful, none of them had made a noise since Hagrid had set them out, but one seemed to be paying particular attention to Ginny. Ginny stared back at it, it was the one with the purple and black feathers. Ginny almost shrieked when she heard it whisper in a hiss, but unmistakable English "hello". 

Ginny almost said 'hello' back before realizing how ridiculously crazy it would look. Instead she just averted her gaze and convinced herself that she hadn't really heard a snake talk. 

''Why do you ingorrre me cchhild?" the Ezless hissed again. Ginny quickly looked around at her other classmates, but none of them showed any sign of hearing anything unusual. _This can't be possible..._Ginny thought frantically. There was absolutely NO way that Virginia Weasley was a _parlestounge_. Even though the Ezless wasn't a real snake, that had to be what it was talking in right? It did, after all, have a snake head... 

It just didn't make sense...only dark wizards ever inherited that trait. Them and Harry...but Harry was only a parlestounge because Voldemort had accidentally given him some of his abilities through the failed _Avada Kadavra_ curse. None of her relatives were parlestounge...the thought of it was insane. Weasleys' were Gryffindor to the core, well except for maybe her. Besides, Ginny would have surely already known by now if she had the ability right? _Right?_

Ginny looked nervously around at her class before risking another quick glance at the Ezless. It was looking at her expectantly. 

"I know you can underssstand me. I can sssee into your mind" Ginny's brow started to sweat, as she fidgeted nervously in her place on the grass. 

_Is this really happening? Or am I going completely insane?_

_This isn't possible, _she told herself over and over again..._it just isn't..._

_unless..._

_Oh my god_

Ginny's body stilled, and a numbing shock seemed to encase her physically and mentally. 

Harry had become parlestounge because Voldemort had accidentally given him the trait. Could it be possible that the same sort of thing happened to her with Tom Riddle. He had after all taken over her body for periods of time...he had drained her of her energy, in turn pouring a bit of himself into her. Everyone assumed he had used the Imperious curse on her, but Ginny had felt that in her third year when she had asked Mr. Moody (a.k.a. Barty Crouch) to teach her to fight against it. Tom Riddle had literally been seeping into her body, taking complete control of it before he had enough of her energy to form a body of his own. Could it be possible that he had unknowingly left bits of himself behind? Even if he was aware of what he was doing, he had expected her to be dead soon after so it wouldn't have mattered. Tom had made her speak parlestounge to control the Baslisk, and enter the chamber, could she have picked up the ability without knowing? 

Ginny searched her memory desperately for any time in which she had come in contact with a snake after her first year. 

Nothing. 

Absolutely nothing. 

The Ezless picked that time to continue speaking. "Yess, I can sssense your ability to ssspeak my tounge." 

Ginny said nothing, just stared at the creature numbly. It would probably take a while for her to get over this shock, she was still recovering from the whole Sirius Black thing. The only thought that came in clear was that she couldn't let anyone find out her new found skill. People already avoided her, adding the ability to talk to snakes wouldn't help matters one bit. 

The Ezless didn't seem to take offence to Ginny's silence, instead went on speaking. "I have been waiting for long yearsss for the one who belongsss with me. I am happy I have finally found you." 

Ginny's eyebrows puckered in confusion, what was the Ezless talking about? 

"I sssense your confusion...I can sssensse the goings on in your mind...sssoon you will sssense mine alssso." With that said, the Ezless jumped off the table and flew right in front of Ginny, landing directly at her feat. Kayla and Cassandra, (who the Ezless almost landed on) let out loud shrieks of terror and ran to the opposite end of the paddock. The Ezless didn't seem to notice them, or the others in the class that were backing away wearily. Hagrid hadn't said anything about them being dangerous, but no one really knew what they were capable of either. The Ezless stared up at Ginny with small purple eyes. Ginny couldn't help but be fascinated by their color. 

"Alrigh' Miss Weasley...just stand up slowly and back away so as not to startle er." Hagrid was saying nervously from the front of the paddock, slowly inching his way forward. "They aren' known to do any harm to anyone unless they threaten their owner...an I made certain these ones didn't have an owner." 

Ginny hesitantly followed Hagrids instructions, even though she felt that there was no need. For some reason she knew that the Ezless didn't pose a threat to her. As she started to back away, the Ezless followed her progress slowly afterwards. Ginny moved to the side and so did the Ezless. Ginny stopped moving and the Ezless stopped directly in front of her, it was about the size of Pigwidion, Ginny thought absently. Then without warning, it jumped up with a flap of black wings and landed on her shoulder. Instead of frightened, Ginny felt comforted by the Ezless' warm presence. She reached out a hand to pet it's feathery body and it leaned in, as if enjoying her touch. She was only vaguely aware of the rest of the class staring at her in shock. Most of all Hagrid. 

"I don' believe it." He whispered dazed. 

Ginny looked away from the Ezless on her shoulder and directed her gaze at Hagrid, "What's the matter?" She asked wearily. 

"I think...I think it's chosen you to be it's owner." Hagrid told her, he looked more excited now that he got over the shock. "This hasn' happened in a while Miss. Weasley! It musta seen somethin special in you." Hagrid exclaimed. 

"What, you mean I have to keep her now?" Ginny asked startled. She wasn't against the prospect, once she thought about it, but it came as a shock for someone who was never allowed the luxury of her own pet. 

"Seems that's already been decided. She won't leave your side if indeed she has chosen ya. An she'll be fiercely loyal, Ezless are great companions to have." Hagrid grinned at her and asked her to stay behind as the rest of the class packed up for their next lesson. 

Hagrid explained to Ginny all the methods she would have to use to take care of her pet, and what sort of things it would eat. About ten minutes later she managed to break free and arrive late to her Charms lesson. (The Ezless flying hot on her trail) 

Ginny entered the Great Hall for dinner and sat down heavily at the Gryffindor Table. Her first day back and she had managed to be late for the first two classes. She lost twenty house points in Transfiguration from Magonagall for transforming her partners desk into bird that flew out the window before she could change it back. The other Gryffindors were avoiding her even more than usual now that she had her new pet, who she had named Circe during a boring lesson on Goblin Rebellion. Ginny soundlessly started to pile potatoes and roast onto her plate, and filled her goblet with pumpkin juice. She set aside a little portion of the meat, just like Hagrid had told her to and placed Circe down onto the table to eat it. 

"Um, Ginny, what is that?" Ginny heard Ron ask, surprised, from a few seats down the table. 

"This is my Ezless, Circe." She replied carelessly. She was well aware that most of the people around her were also listening to find out what the creature was on the table. 

"_Your_ Ezless?" Hermione asked, not doing a very good job of hiding the disbelief in her voice. "You do know that those are very rarely kept as pets. You can't just decide to keep one Ginny, it has to choose you. I wouldn't be surprised if you woke up tomorrow and it was gone. I'm surprised that Hagrid would agree to let you try and keep it, they are very rare." 

Ginny felt a bubble of irritation rise at Hermione's matter of fact tone. Was it so unbelievable for something to actually _want_ to be kept as her pet? 

"I'm well aware of that Hermione." Ginny replied, trying unsuccessfully to keep the irritation from her voice, it had been to long of a day for her to be pretending to be polite. "Hagrid only let me keep Circe because she started to follow me around in class and it seems she won't listen to anyone else but me now. She chose me to be her owner, so I get to keep her." 

Hermione's looked taken aback, but still managed to come up with a reply. "Oh, well, that's great then! They are really loyal, and fascinating creatures. You know there is still so much people haven't found out about them, if you'll let me do you thing I could study it for a bit?" Hermione's face seemed to shine in eager anticipation of studying something. 

Ginny looked down at Circe uncertainly. For some reason she got the strong impression that her pet did NOT want to be Hermione's study project. Her feelings were confirmed when she heard Circe hiss, "I would prefer miss, if I was not studied and examined. It is very insulting and degrading for proud creatures like myself to be subjected to such humiliation." 

Harry, who was had just sat down in time to hear about Ginny's Ezless heard what Circe said and threw a grin at Hermione. "You just insulted her Hermione. How would you like to be studied like a lab specimen? You know Circe here has feelings too." 

For once Hermione looked at a loss for words. Ginny could tell she was stuck between wanting to uncover secrets about this mysterious creature, and her animal rights obsession. In the end she decided to not offend the Ezless and restricted herself to looking things up in the library. 

Ron didn't say much about Circe out loud, but he did send a few weary looks at his sisters pet. He didn't like anything that had any parts of a snake, it was just a natural association he made with snakes and the Dark Arts. The snake was after all the mascot for Slytherin House, how much more proof did you need? 

"Potter, Granger, Ron and Virginia Weasley" The drawling voice of Professor Snape voice announced from behind Harry. "I would like all of you to meet me in the DADA classroom at seven on the dot. Don't be late, and bring your wands." Before any of them could ask any questions Snape had turned on his heel and glided up to the teachers table. 

"What do you think that's about?" Harry asked nervously. "I don't think we did anything wrong in Potions..." He looked at Hermione for confirmation. She shook her head looking curious also. 

"He can't be giving us extra work, or detention now can he? I mean, I wouldn't put it past him but why would he tell us to meet him in the DADA classroom? And why is Ginny coming along?" Ron asked nervously. 

"I don't even have Potions until tomorrow." Ginny supplied. 

"Weird," Harry muttered. "I don't fancy a late night meeting with Snape, but it seems we don't have much of a choice." He looked at Ron who was scowling, and Hermione who was looking for an explanation that made sense. 

"I guess we'll find out at seven." Ginny said, picking up her bags and motioning to Circe that she was finished and leaving. "See you guys then." She said over her shoulder, and caught a glimpse of Harry following her progress out of the Hall. She chuckled to herself, but failed to notice that green eyes weren't the only ones watching her leave. 

_**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**_

_**Authors note: I hope you liked this, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be a nice reader and REVIEW to tell me what you thought of my fic so far. Reviews are the motivators to keep me writing, if there aren't any than I'll get sad and think this story isn't worth continuing if it isn't being read. **_

_**I'll get the next chapter up as fast as I can, but I don't know when exactly that will be**_

_**Cheers**_

_***Imp**_


	5. chapter three

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of JKR's characters...**_

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

****Ginny sat quietly on her four-poster bed in Gryffindor Tower listening intently to Circe recount her life before she had come to Hogwarts. Two silencing charms had been put up around them to prevent anyone from hearing her speak parseltounge. Her curtains were drawn tightly around her bed to keep out the eyes of her gossipy dorm mates. Circe's tale didn't last long, seeing as how Ezless apparently did nothing but wander until they found their partners, and some never did. She had kept to forests to keep out of the way of nosey people trying to keep her, when she wasn't theirs to keep. 

"How are you supposed to find your keeper if you only stick to forests?" Ginny asked curiously. "No wonder some of you never find your keeper if you are always hiding." 

"Yesss, but we Ezless can't use our powers unlesss we have found our owner. Without powersss we are not safe to wander everywhere. As you can ssee, we met by chance. If it is meant to be, then that is how the othersss are paired up also." Circe replied.

"I see" Ginny said thoughtfully. That must be a hard life, she thought, wandering around wondering if you will ever meet the person who you belong with. "That's sort of sad when you think about it."

"Yesss, I ssupose you could look at it that way. But it's the only way we know at the time, ssso it issn't sad it isss just the way it isss." Circe said matter-of-factly.

Ginny nodded in understanding. "Circe, can you do me a big favor?"

"Of course misss, just name it."

"I need to keep it secret from everyone here that I can speak your tongue." Ginny said hesitantly. She didn't want Circe to take any offense to that, people at school just wouldn't understand. After all, everyone thought Harry was a dark wizard after they found out he could do it.

Circe looked at Ginny closely, and Ginny could almost sense her piercing gaze looking right through her into the very depths of her mind. "I undersssstand miss. However, may I ssay that it isss not good to care ssso much what othersss think of missss." 

Ginny sighed. It was going to get some taking used to having a pet that could read her mind, but it was also oddly relieving to have some one to talk to who understood her. Before Ginny could reply to Circe's statement, she continued talking.

"I don't know if I am right misss, but didn't missss have a meeting tonight that misss is currently missssing?" Circe asked.

"What-? Oh, yeah that was at seven...and it's only..." Ginny checked her cheap watch and sprung up almost landing on Circe. "It's seven-ten! Oh no...I'll have detention with Snape for the rest of this month!" Ginny peeked out of her bed hangings to make sure the dorm was still empty. When she was satisfied that it was, she fumbled with her wand and took off all the silencing spells. Circe watched her from the bed, and Ginny could have sworn she felt a sense of amusement coming from the Ezless. 

"Do you think this is funny?" Ginny asked, distracted.

"I see missss may be ssstarting to sssence my mind as I can ssence yourssss." Circe replied.

Ginny only shook her head in bewilderment. "Well, you won't think it's funny after you get better acquainted with Snape." Ginny slipped on her robe and put her wand in her pocket before motioning to Circe to follow her out of the dorm. Before she opened the door though, she stopped and turned to look at Circe who was hovering in the air behind her. "How did you know I was late?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"I have a very good sssensse of time misss." Circe replied simply.

Ginny narrowed her eyes further. "Then why didn't you tell me _before _I was late?"

"I thought misss would have been aware of the time." Circe answered. Not even a hint of apology in her voice.

"Oh, well okay. Next time could you warn me though? I'm really bad with punctuality." 

"I will." Hissed Circe.

Ginny checked her watch once more and let out an impressive stream of swearing. She was now even later than before. With a nod at Circe, she bolted out of the Dorm and through Gryffindor Tower.

"Sorry I'm late professor..." Ginny began as she barged into the DADA classroom. She had been expecting to see professor Snape lecturing Harry Ron and Hermione. However what she saw was the Headmaster along with Snape standing before about ten students, only some that she recognized. Snape sent her a withering glare but Dumbledore commented before he had a chance. "Miss Weasley. Very fortunate that you could join us. Please have a seat." He said merrily, with his blue eyes twinkling. 

Ginny obeyed without comment, and sat down at the back of the class in one of the two seats left. Beside her sat three Ravenclaw's that she didn't remember the names of. The two girls she recognized to be in sixth year, and the guy in seventh. In front of her she could see Harry, Ron, and Hermione talking avidly. Harry looked up and gave her a friendly nod before returning to his conversation. Beside them, two seventh year Hufflepuff's were sitting closer than was necessary and whispering softly to each other. Judging from the lack of speech coming from the professors, and the empty seat beside her, Ginny assumed they were still waiting for one more person. _Ha, _she thought smugly, _I wasn't that late after all._

Ginny shifted in her seat, and let Circe up on her lap. While she was absently stroking her feathers, she listened to what Professor Dumbledore was saying to Snape in hopes of getting an idea why she was here. 

"Are you sure he's coming Severus?" Dumbledore asked gravely.

"He said he would at least give it a try." Snape replied. "But I wouldn't blame him if he changed his mind." he sneered throwing a disgusted look at Harry and his friends.

Dumbledore looked like he was about to say something further, but was distracted when the door opened and Draco Malfoy glided into the classroom. 

"Ah! Mr. Malfoy, please take a seat so we can begin." Dumbledore said, gesturing to the seat beside Ginny. Ginny scowled, _just my bloody luck. _ She thought grumpily as Malfoy slid into the seat beside her wearing his trade mark smirk. 

"What's that stupid git doing here?" Ginny heard her brother ask in a not-to-quiet whisper. 

Malfoy acted as if he hadn't heard a thing, and didn't notice the death glares almost everyone in the room was shooting at him.

"Alright, now that everyone is here we can begin." Said Dumbledore, shooting a warning glance at Ron who looked like he was going to say more on the subject of Malfoy. Hermione nudged him in the stomach to keep him quiet and he reluctantly gazed to the front of the classroom.

"I suppose most of you are curious as to why you have been called here today." Dumbledore continued, looking at the students questioningly. Everyone seemed to be nodding their assent but Malfoy, who just looked plain bored. "I have decided it would be a benefit to certain individuals if they were to receive some extra training on top of their academic studies. As all of you are well aware of, Voldemort has become almost a larger threat than he was within his first rein of terror. I have selected you ten people because I feel you will need this knowledge above most, and I have confidence you will be able to handle the extra pressure." Here Dumbledore paused and looked at each student in turn. His gaze seemed to tell each person just how important this was, and not to take the opportunity lightly. "This is completely voluntary, of course, it will be like an extra class you won't be graded on."

Ginny shot a glance at Ron, who seemed to be torn between thinking the idea of extra work was insane, and getting extra experience he may well need. Hermione looked delighted at the whole idea. Harry looked grave but determined to learn all he could. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "Now, if you don't wish to take this lesson, please leave now and don't mention it to any one outside this room." He waited a few seconds, but when no one got up to leave he nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. Professor Snape will be giving these lessons for the first week of term before the teacher I have enrolled will arrive."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as there was various grumbles from everyone in the class but Malfoy. Snape glared smugly at all the students, daring them to complain out loud. Ron looked like he wanted to bolt, but Harry and Hermione were looking at him warningly. 

"Alright, I'll leave them to you Severus!" Dumbledore exclaimed before heading out of the classroom. 

Snape turned to the class looking as dangerous as ever. "Alright. This class is expected to be taken as seriously as any other class you have on your curriculum. In some cases even more so." Here he looked pointedly at the front row of Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's. "There will be no fooling around in this class, we will be using dangerous techniques and mistakes could easily land you in the hospital wing." Snape sneered as though he wouldn't care if this indeed happened. "You will need your wands at all times as it is mostly a practical class. If I assign you research, it will be on your own time that you find it in the library. You will also each be able to visit the restricted section without a pass." Here Snape looked like he would like nothing better than to change that rule. Ginny was sure that Dumbledore was the one to enforce it. "Do you have any questions?" Ginny had a lot of questions, such as why she was even here, to what exactly the class involved, but Snape really didn't look like he would answer any of them. 

Ginny could tell Hermione was busting with suppressed comments, and with any other teacher she would have them heard. Even she wasn't stupid enough to interrogate Snape though. He would tell them on his own time what they needed to know and nothing more.

"Good, lessons will be held every other day at seven, starting Wednesday. Now get out of my site." Everyone in the class rose and hustled towards the door. Ginny found her curiosity overcoming her fear of the Potions Master and she stayed behind with an equally curious Circe. Malfoy, she noticed was also staying in his seat. Ginny rose and tentatively approached Snape who had retreated behind a desk.

"What do you want Miss Weasley?" Snape asked unpleasantly.

"Well sir, I just wanted to ask why I'm here. I mean I couldn't help but notice everyone else is sixth year and up..." Ginny broke off, looking at Snape expectantly. 

Snape sighed irritably. "I would have thought that would be perfectly obvious Miss Weasley." He said sharply. When Ginny made no evidence of comprehending, Snape looked at her straight in the eyes. "Would you like me to spell it out?" He asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. Circe gave a warning hiss when she heard him mocking Ginny. Snape looked at the Ezless startled, but then only raised an eyebrow looking unconcerned before returning his eyes to Ginny. 

"I'm sorry professor but I still don't understand..." Ginny said, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice. Why was he always so unapproachable? She had asked him a simple question, any other teacher would have told her the answer and been done with it. But _Snape_ had to make it as difficult as possible, and try to make her tremble with nerves. Well _she_ wouldn't give him the satisfaction. With her new resolve to stand up to Snape, Ginny straightened her back and didn't break eye contact (no matter how disturbing his cold black eyes could be).

"Alright Weasley, here it is. Not only are you the daughter of two people who openly support Dumbledore's Order, your two oldest brothers are also actively involved. If that isn't enough to make you a target, you are a pure blood family who are very fond of muggles and associate with Muggle borne. Wait, there is more." Snape added with a sneer. "Your brother is best friends with the boy-who-lived, and you also have associations with him. On top of all that, in your first year, Voldemort's memory succeeded in controlling you for the most part of a year to lure Potter into the Chamber of Secrets. Don't think that the real Voldemort isn't aware of these happenings Miss. Weasley because I assure you he is." Snape paused for effect here, and looked at Ginny quite seriously. "He knows you were able to be controlled once to lure Potter, it is important that you learn to defend yourself to prevent it from happening again." Snape finished. Ginny was stunned. She had never even considered the possibility that the real Voldemort knew what had happened. _Why didn't any one tell me this before?_ Ginny wondered angrily. _Don't I have the right to know what kind of danger I'm in?_ Remembering that they weren't alone, Ginny shot Draco a nervous glance, but he appeared not to be listening. She directed her attention back to Snape who was watching her curiously. 

"Are you sure? Why would no one have mentioned this before?" Ginny asked, but she feared she already knew the answer to that. Her family was probably trying to _protect _her. Little Ginny would be to scared and traumatized if she found out that the Dark Lord had good reason to want her held hostage or dead. Voldemort wouldn't like knowing that she had escaped any form of him, memory or not. He had a good track record with finishing every victim off. That she had escaped with the help of Harry Potter would only make matters worse. That he knew Harry would risk his life to save her just topped things off. 

Snape only raised his eyebrow, "I would not have said it if I wasn't sure Miss Weasley." He replied patronizingly. "I also would have thought you would have been informed of this already. That you haven't been is none of my concern." His tone clearly stated that they had reached the end of the conversation. Ginny gritted her teeth before stalking out of the classroom without a backwards glance. She gained little satisfaction out of slamming the door behind her. 

Ginny wasn't in the mood to put up with her fellow Gryffindors at the moment, so instead of heading back to the common room, she started on an aimless stroll around the castle. It wasn't after curfew yet, but the sun had disappeared in the distance, so her only source of light was the torches placed along the stone walls. Most students were back in their common rooms, having nothing better to do, so the halls were blissfully deserted. Having nothing to distract her, Ginny thought about what Snape had revealed to her earlier that evening. She had always been aware that her family was in danger of Voldemorts wrath, that was just common sense. But to know that she was singled out as a target was quite disturbing. She had always been the girl in the background, that was how she preferred it. To know that Voldemort was particularly aware of _her _existence was unsettling. However unsettled she may be, her family still had no right to keep something like this from her. Whatever they may believe she was _not_ a child. 

_I wonder how many people knew about this..._ Ginny thought fleetingly. _And how long did they expect me to go on unaware? _Ginny laughed bitterly to herself. She was like a time bomb waiting to explode. Every time something like this happened, she got closer and closer to the blowing point. Her family thought they were helping her, when all they were doing was turning her into a miserable, bitter bitch. Ginny couldn't help but smile at how shocked her family would be if they ever found out what she was really like. She was just dying to tell them exactly what she thought of every one of them. _One of these day's they are going to push me too far..._ she thought worriedly. _Then everything is going to come out._

_"_Have you ever tried ssssspeaking with them?" Hissed Circe who was sitting in Ginny's school bag. Ginny looked down at Circe startled, she was so lost in thought she had forgotten Circe was still with her. 

"No point." Ginny hissed back, after making sure no one was hanging around. 

Both Ginny and Circe quieted when they heard footsteps coming from some where ahead in their corridor. Ginny stepped quietly into an empty classroom that looked like it hadn't been used in years. A heavy coat of dust coated everything, and only a thin beam of moonlight shone through a narrow window near the ceiling. 'Creepy.' Ginny muttered before shutting the door over, leaving a small crack she could see out of. She knew it wasn't past curfew yet, but that wouldn't stop Filtch or Snape from coming up with a punishment anyway. 

When the footsteps drew nearer, Ginny could make out two different people, along with the beginning of a conversation. 

"I can't believe you agreed to it though, why couldn't Snape just do a private tutoring session if it is so important?" Asked a female voice Ginny thought sounded familiar 

"He doesn't have the time, I suspect." Came the drawling voice that was immediately recognizable as Draco Malfoy's. 

"Hhmm...well it's your call Draco, I just wish you luck." said the female voice again. "I wouldn't want to be stuck in a class with a bunch of Potter worshipers." the girl let out a chuckle that Ginny was positive she had heard before. 

_I do NOT worship Harry Potter, _Ginny thought reverently_ ...anymore._

_"_I'm sure I'll survive," Draco answered passively, Ginny thought it very odd not to hear the mocking tone his voice usually held. "What is it you wanted to tell me Del?" Draco added curiously. "It better be good to drag me out here in risk of losing some of my beauty sleep." 

Ginny had been trying to hold back a sneeze from all the dust flying around her nose, but when Draco said that she couldn't help the snort of laughter, than ended up turning into a bone shattering sneeze. Draco and his companion stopped where they were right outside her door. Ginny stayed completely quiet, not even daring to move. The last thing she wanted was to be caught spying on _him._

_"_Well, well well, lets see who else is wandering the deserted corridors this fine evening." Ginny heard Draco drawl. She looked around frantically, but there was no way out of the room but the door she had come in. There was also absolutely no hiding spaces. 

_Perfect, just bloody perfect._ She thought dejectedly as Malfoy pushed open the door all the way. The girl with him was revealed to be Delphinium, a Slytherin in Ginny's year. 

"Weasley." Draco sneered, stepping into the dusty classroom. Delphinium leaned against the door frame watching Ginny closely, as if seeing her for the first time. 

"Isn't this a coincidence, Draco." Delphinium exclaimed, smiling slightly. "What I wanted to tell you involved none other than Weasley here." 

Draco and Ginny both looked up at Del with curiosity and surprise written on their faces. "Really?" Draco drawled, while Ginny just glared at her classmate. 

Del ignored Ginny and proceeded to explain what she was on about. "The most interesting thing happened in Care of Magical Creatures today." She began smiling sweetly at Ginny. "Aside from Weasley being given this adorable Ezless, of course." To Ginny's horror, Circe allowed Del to step forward and begin stroking her feathers. _Traitor_. Ginny thought, glumly. She was however, more interested in finding out what Delphinium could be talking about. Aside from getting Circe, absolutely nothing had happened in that class worth talking about. 

"Were you in the same class as me then?" Ginny asked sarcastically. 

"I was indeed." She replied, grin broadening. 

"Just get on with it Del." Draco replied impatiently. 

"Alright.. I was trying to listen to Hagrids unusually interesting lesson. This however, was proving difficult due to the twittering Gryffindor air-heads in front of me." Del's face contorted into a scowl, while Draco smiled sympathetically. Ginny couldn't help the laugh that escaped at the too-true description of her fellow idiotic Gryffindors. 

"What, not going to stand up for your fellow Lions?" Draco asked, looking at her curiously. 

"Why? It's the bloody truth." Ginny replied dismissively. 

"Anyway," Del continued. "I was contemplating giving them a good kick, when I heard the strangest noise coming from beside me. At first I thought a snake had crawled up beside me, but when I looked over the hissing was coming from Weasley!" 

Draco raised his eyebrows, but Ginny denied it quickly. "Where the hell did you come up with that?" She asked Delphinium scathingly. 

"I heard you plain as day." Del replied calmly. "Don't worry, I don't think anyone else did. It must have been because of the Ezless at the front of the class...it seems there are two parseltounges in Gryffindor. Imagine the odds of that happening..." 

Ginny was struck dumb. Had she even spoken before Circe had come up to her? She was about to deny the accusation again when she heard Circe from across the room. "You did ssspeak the tongue once missss. You were wondering why ssssome girlssss had taken the classss. It issss what drew my attention to you." 

Ginny looked at Circe horrified. Delphinium was looking between Ginny and her Ezless with great interest. "What did she say?" She asked after a moment. 

"What?" Ginny asked, still determined not to admit to anything. "How the hell should I know?" 

Delphinium was about to say something when Draco silenced her with a look. 

A moment later his reason was apparent. Ginny heard yet again the sound of footsteps coming down the corridor, this time it sounded like a group larger than two. 

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Ginny heard the voice of her brother ask. "Why didn't you just bring the bloody thing with us?" 

"I finally got it back Ron, I'm not letting it leave the dorm unless it is _absolutely_ necessary." The voice of Harry replied. Ginny scowled, _of all the times for those three to show up._

Draco looked like he was just dying to burst out of the room and hex all of them. Ginny was surprised when she caught herself almost thinking it would be funny. _As long as he didn't really hurt them it would be okay for a laugh._

Sure enough the next voice they heard was none other than Hermione. "I hope she's alright. If Malfoy's done anything to her I'll be sure to have him punished." 

"What the hell?" Ginny heard Del whisper to Malfoy. Malfoy just shrugged and continued to listen. 

"It's one thing for him to bother us, but what is Ginny going to do to defend herself?" Ron asked outraged. 

Ginny let out a long angry hiss of breath, while Malfoy looked at her amused. _Do they have a tracker put on me or something?_ Ginny thought furiously. 

"I think they were in one of these rooms..." Harry said suddenly, "but I don't hear anything so they might have left already." 

Ron started banging open doors all along the hallway while grumbling furiously about how he would kill Malfoy when he saw him. Hermione shushed him quickly, saying that it was past curfew by a few minutes and she didn't want to get points taken off. 

"Looks like the famous three have come to your rescue." Draco sneered at Ginny. Ginny was too mad at them herself to even reply to his comment. 

Just then, Ron banged open the door that concealed them. "Ginny!" He exclaimed rushing forward and standing between her and the Slytherins. "Are you alright?" He asked her, glaring daggers at Malfoy. 

"Yes Ron," Ginny said through gritted teeth, "just like I was fine before you came to my_ rescue_." 

Ron looked back at Ginny concerned, when Harry and Hermione entered the room curiously. 

"Ginny, you okay?" Harry asked, looking relieved to have found her in one piece. He also started glaring at Malfoy. No one even seemed to realize there was another person in the room. Delphinium just watched the scene play out looking like she was at a movie. 

"What the hell were you doing with my sister?" Ron demanded, his face turning the same colour as his hair. 

Harry and Hermione stood behind Ron on either side ready to pull him back if he lunged. 

Draco was about to make a smart-assed comment when Ginny interrupted, her voice sugar sweet. "What else would we be doing in a dark classroom after curfew Ronnikins? Surely you aren't that daft." 

Ron looked at his sister as if she was a three headed dog. His mouth opened and shut a few times, the only sound coming out was an angry spluttering. Harry was looking at her with a hurt/disbelieving expression on his face. "Do you realize what you just said Ginny?" He asked her cautiously. Ginny only raised an eyebrow defiantly. 

"What? You mean by implying that myself and Malfoy were participating in a heated snogging session before you three came along and ruined it?" Ginny asked pushing out her lower lip pouting. "I'm very well aware of what I said." 

Harry just gaped at her while Hermione let out a disbelieving snort. "Please, she's obviously not telling the truth." Hermione said disapprovingly. "If they came out here to snog, I don't think they would have invited someone else to come along and watch." Here she looked pointedly at Delphinium who looked like she was about to burst out laughing. 

Delphinium met Hermione's gaze head on, "who said I wasn't participating too?" Del challenged. Now it was Ginny's turn to hold back hysterics. All three of them looked like they had been petrified. Ginny shot a glance at Malfoy who was being unusually quiet, he looked back at her, his face a blank emotionless mask. Ron, who had apparently had enough of this conversation, grabbed Ginny's arm forcefully and proceeded to drag her out of the room. Ginny's vocal protests did nothing, so she had no choice but to be escorted away (he was unfortunately stronger than her). Harry and Hermione were too stunned to say anything so they only followed Ron, and a cursing Ginny out of the room. 

Circe flew after them, weighed down by Ginny's forgotten school bag that she clutched in her claws. 

When the four Gryffindors had left their line of site, Draco and Del turned to each other with bemused expressions on their faces. 

"That was rather odd don't you think?" Del commented, chuckling slightly. 

"Seems little Weasley is rebelling or something." Draco commented. "I just hope their aren't any rumors tomorrow about me snogging her. Not to mention you." Draco scowled at the thought. 

"Come on Draco, were distant enough cousins! People don't even know we're family, with me not being an evil Malfoy and all." Del batted her eyelashes playfully in Draco's direction. "You would be lucky if you ever got a looker like me into a broom closet." Del flicked her wavy dirty blonde hair seductively, and pouted her full pink lips. 

Draco only rolled his eyes, "what about her being parseltounge? Are you sure about that Del, it seems unlikely." 

"I know what I heard! She was just covering up, wasn't it obvious she was lying?" Del said defensively. 

"Yeah...but why would a _Weasley_ be given the gift? After what I just saw her do to her fellow house mates I'm beginning to think she doesn't even belong in Gryffindor." Draco sneered at his own train of thought. He had almost considered a poor, muggle loving, weasel worthy of being in _his_ house. 

"Should we spread the word that she's a serpent tongue?" Del asked him, grinning. 

"No." Draco answered without hesitation. When he saw Del's look of shock he quickly explained. "That wouldn't be the Slytherin way. I think we should hold it over her head for a time, see what happens." Draco answered a malicious smile playing on his lips. 

Del patted him on the back affectionately, "What would I do for fun if you hadn't come to your senses this summer?" 

"Absolutely nothing, with your boring sticks for friends." Draco ignored her reproving glare. "Now come along, I don't want bags under my eyes tomorrow from lack of sleep." 

_**~*~*~*~*~*~*~***_

_***long relieved sigh* I finished!! I've been writing this chapter in little scraps here and there and I thought I would never get it done. I hope you all like it, I've been fighting with little time and writers block so it was quite difficult to accomplish. **_

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed so far *hugs each and every one of you* I feed off reviews like chocolate chip cookies. mmmmm**_

**_Pleas keep reviewing so I know if I suck or not *constructive criticism is very welcome _**__

_**I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I write it**_

_***cheers**_

_***Imp**_


	6. chapter four

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of JKR's characters...however I did come up with the plot, Ezless, Ginny's dorm mates, and Del all by my self :) Everything else isn't mine :( _

_AN: thank you to all my reviewers! The number of reviews for this fic is a definite record for me...but please don't let that stop you from keeping it up. I'm thrilled that people like my writing and I'll keep the chapters to this story coming as fast as possible, but with school and all...my guess is about once a week (maybe more, maybe less). _

_Sorry about the lack of D/G so far, but you have to work up to these things! I've read some fics that put them together really quickly, and suddenly BOOM their madly in love...to me this isn't realistic at all. But there isn't much more of a wait, I've got a plan all worked out in my head in order to open Draco's eyes to the fiery red head right in front of him ;)_

_**IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ!!**_

_**Also about Del, just in case I forget to clarify this somewhere in the following chapters (I have an awful memory) This is a little bit of Malfoy family history for you: *clears throat dramatically* **_

**_Draco's _Great_ Grandfather, The Late Lucius Malfoy (whom Draco's father would later be named after) had two children. One boy, Adrian Malfoy who took greatly after his father (evil with pale blond hair) and one girl, Marcella Malfoy, who much to Lucius' disappointment took after his Late wife Octavia Sustano (it had been an arranged marriage he couldn't get out of.) She had more brown colored hair and didn't carry the vindictive evil streak Malfoys were prided for. Marcella never got on well with her family, they treated her with contempt and loathing. She often associated with muggle born children at Hogwarts, and would do anything to spite her father. In her last year of school she fell in love with a half blood boy from Hufflepuff. They married secretly and Marcella was shunned from the Malfoy family (not that she cared). She had one girl, who she named Willow. Willow then had a girl named Delphinium (short form Del). Del is currently attending Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in her fifth year. Distantly related to the grandson of Adrian Malfoy, Draco._**

_I hope that made sense...it does to me anyway. That's just a bit of background info to help clarify, I hope it helped and didn;t just make things more confusing._

_Oh, well _on with the story! :)_ I think that's quite enough of my blabbering._

CHAPTER FOUR

When Ron finally managed to drag Ginny up the many flights of stairs to Gryffindor Tower, most people were just hanging around, getting ready to settle in for the night. A group of first years looked up startled when they came barging through the portrait hole, both looking at each other threateningly. Harry and Hermione followed meekly behind, still looking scandalized. A hush fell over the occupants of the common room when Ginny started telling Ron off, not too quietly, her words leaving the younger students speechless. 

"Ginny! Shut the bloody hell up will you?" Ron forced out with an anxious glance around at everyone watching. 

"Should have thought about making a scene _before_ treating me like a ruddy infant!" Ginny shouted, her face contorted with anger. "Do you idiots have fucking trackers put on me? I'm sick of being _protected_, I can take care of my self! I don't need the Dream Team coming to my rescue!"

"Ginny-" Hermione began soothingly, but Ginny quickly cut her off.

"Why don't you three tell me how the hell you knew where I was? And who I was with?" Ginny asked menacingly, glaring at each one of them until they broke eye contact with her. "Come on, what else are you hiding from me?" Ginny continued, smiling grimly. She knew them too well to think they would give her any answers. Harry spoke up next and confirmed her assumptions

"Ginny that isn't the issue right now! The point is we found you in time to prevent-"

"To prevent what Harry?" Ginny grated. "I'm not in first year anymore. I don't need you to save me from the evil Slytherin nemesis! I've got a wand and I know damn well how to use it! I could have Malfoy rolling on the ground crying like a baby if I fancied it."

This achieved a few guffaws from some of the watching audience. Harry just looked at her doubtfully. "Ginny you don't know what your talking about...Malfoy's father he's-"

Ginny have a loud mirthless laugh cutting Harry off in mid sentence. "What? You think I don't know his dad is a Death Eater?" Ginny heard shocked intakes of breath from the people behind her. She turned around to face her peers for the first time, looking at them disbelievingly. "Oh don't pretend you don't know! You all talk about it in whispers, it's as obvious as the setting sun!" Here a few faced turned red, and people looked down at their feet self consciously. None of them wanted to face the anger of the Malfoys by actually admitting it out loud, for fear of it getting back to him. Ginny shook her head, her red fair falling wildly around her face. 

"What makes you think that it's alright for you to constantly interfere in my life? How would you like it if I did the same to you? Followed you around, always making sure I knew where you were, what sort of things you were up to." Here she saw that all three looked suitably uncomfortable. "And what pray tell, makes you think that I wouldn't be able to hold my own if I got into a tricky situation?" 

Ron, unlike Ginny, was all too aware of the avid silence of the Gryffindors as they watched this rare spectacle of Ginny freaking out. He glared around the room, before clearing his throat loudly. "I would _appreciate_ it if you would all stop goggling at us and get your arses in bed!" He shouted loudly enough for his voice to reach even the people sitting tucked away in the corners. The younger students started to rush for the spiral stairs, not wanting any older students angry at them. Most people however stayed in there seats smiling broadly.

"C'mon Weasley! Nothing this interesting has happened in a while!"

"Yeah! Let us watch."

A bright flash of light indicated Colin Creevy had captured the moment on film. Ron made a growling sound in his throat, and Colin's head could be seen pushing through the first years trying to get up the stairs to the safety of the dorms. Ginny couldn't help but laugh as she watched the Gryffindors scurry around Ron, while he was shouting and threatening all of them. 

"Finnigan! Thomas! I swear if you don't get up to our dorms you won't live through the night!" Ron could be heard yelling.

Ginny took this oppertunity to slip away up the spiral stairs. Only when she reached the fifth year girls dorm did she hear "Where the bloody hell did she go?" She sighed as she crawled into her four poster bed. _My brother can be such a git._ She smiled gratefully at Circe who was waiting for her, her school bag dropped on the nightstand.

"I wish I could do sssomething more to help missss." Circe hissed regretfully.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, her dorm mates were still down stairs watching Ron make an idiotic spectacle of himself.

"I wish I could help, but your brother posssed no real danger to you. The most he can do issss upssset misss. It isss not my place to interfere magically with emotional matterssss."

"Don't worry Circe, just having you here to chat with is help enough." 

"Thank you misss." Circe hissed quietly.

"Though it would have been funny if you had turned him into a stuffed bunny. I don't have the transfiguration skills for it."

If Ezless could laugh, Ginny was sure that was what Circe was doing.

"Well Circe, I'm beat. G'night." Ginny said, a sudden wave of drowsiness came over her as the events of the day caught up with her. She didn't even change into her night clothes before she fell into a dreamless sleep. 

"Have a good ssssleep misss." Circe hissed affectionately, curling up at the bottom of the bed. 

The next morning, Ginny woke up early to avoid any unwanted run-ins with any unwanted people. It seems her out of character actions last night had finally decided to penetrate the shell of untouchable anger she had felt towards Ron, Harry and Hermione. _Not really uncharacteristic,_ Ginny corrected herself. _It seems I have finally given Ron a taste of the real Ginny Weasley. _ Ginny chuckled humorlessly while making her way slowly down to the Great Hall for an early breakfast. _And he hated every minute of it._

"Well, serves him right." Ginny muttered out loud. 

"Definitely missss." Circe agreed. "He wasss being unfair to you." 

"He certainly was!" 

Ginny fell quite after this, thinking of what a mess she had made of the whole situation. 

Ron will no doubt write her parents about the illicit affair she is supposed to be having with two Slytherins, one being their long time enemy Draco Malfoy. Not to mention the rumors that are bound to spread across school if Ron doesn't keep his mouth shut. She was however, grateful to the fact that Ron will probably be fierce in keeping his sisters embarrassing actions a guarded secret. The other problem was Del and Draco knowing about her being parseltounge. Sure she hadn't admitted it, but her defense had been so weak they were bound to have seen through it. She was scared of what would happen when she entered the Hall, rumors didn't take long to spread through Hogwarts. The whole of Slytherin house was no doubt already aware of it. Hence the reason for her early breakfast. She was guaranteed avoiding most of the Hogwarts population since teenagers were notoriously known for their laziness and love of sleeping in as long as possible. 

She was proven right when a quick inspection of the Hall showed no more than five or six people scattered at each respected table. They were either seventh year versions of Hermione, reading and eating without the distraction of hundreds of noisy people surrounding them. Or they were eager first years who didn't want to miss any happenings of the day (or had woken up early in case they got lost on the way to breakfast) 

A small group of Gryffindor first years looked at her wide eyed, but no one else in the Hall even noticed her enter. Ginny suspected the reason being her outburst the night before, the first years probably thought she was unstable. Ginny smiled encouragingly at them, but this only achieved their scooting further away from her down the table. Shrugging it off, Ginny grabbed liberal amounts of toast and bacon. A quick look at her schedule for Tuesday told her she had double Potions first thing with the Slytherins. Ginny groaned, much like her brother does at the thought of a whole morning with Snape. Snape however was not what had Ginny groaning (even though she didn't relish the thought), it was the prospect of spending the morning with Delphinium that had her bothered. She had been hoping to avoid contact with Draco and Del for as long as possible, it seems fate had other plans for her. Hopefully she could find a seat as far away as possible and ignore her completely. _Yes, _Ginny thought confidently, _that should work out just fine._

Ginny arrived early to her first Potions class of the year. A few ass-kissing Slytherins were already there helping Snape prepare for the class. Luckily Del wasn't one of them. No one paid her any attention when she took her usual seat at the back of the class. By the time she had finished setting up her cauldron the rest of the class had arrived, save the one person Ginny didn't want to see. _Maybe she's sick!_ Ginny thought excitedly. _Gods, I hope she isn't coming._

Ginny didn't mind at all that the seat beside her was unoccupied. The Gryffindor fifth years had an odd number of people, so Ginny was always the one without anyone to sit with. You would think this would bother her, but considering Ginny really didn't like anyone from her house, she was rather relieved. _Imagine trying to brew a potion with one of those imbeciles chattering on beside you. _Colin could sometimes be tolerable company, but he was hopeless at potions, so Ginny didn't mind that Kayla wouldn't let him associate with her. Gloria would rarely sit with her out of pity, but she was later frowned upon for leaving one of her friends without a partner. 

"Alright, I want everyone to hand in the essays I assigned for you to complete over the summer." Snape began. Everyone gathered their rolls of parchment, and headed up to Snapes deskhoping he would accept their work. "Creevy!" Snape barked. "Is this a joke? I specifically said _five_ feet. This can't be more than four, and your letters are about the size of my hand near the bottom." Snape scowled, barely giving the essay a once over before continuing to criticize it. "Do you actually expect me waist my time reading this garbage. For gods sake, you even managed to spell the _title_ wrong!" Snape paused, letting the Slytherins have a quick laugh before continuing. Colin was red in the face, Kayla hanging on his arm glaring at Snape. "Congratulations, you are the first person to lose twenty points from Gryffindor today, you will also be failing this assignment." Snape sneered casually, ripping up the parchment dramatically and throwing it in the trash. Ginny felt a quick pang of sympathy for him, but he should know by now to do his homework properly. She could have sworn that she heard Snape mutter 'worse than Longbottom.' The rest of the essays were accepted, but not without scathing comments to the Gryffindors. Just as Ginny was heading back to her seat, she heard Snape exclaim, "Delphinium, please hand in your assignment and take a seat." 

Delphinium had just appeared in the doorway, apologizing profusely about her tardiness. Ginny scowled, cursing her luck. Del sent Ginny a smirk that could have rivaled Malfoy's before handing in her parchment and taking the empty seat next to Ginny. The Slytherin girl she usually sat with sent Del a curious glance, but didn't seem to care that much. 

"Why hello there Weasley, I hope you don't mind my company." Del said, overly brightly. "I thought it would be fun if we chatted a little bit." 

"We have nothing to talk about, and I really don't care where you sit." Ginny replied, not showing Del any of her discomfort. 

Del just smiled at her before turning her attention to Snape who was beginning the lesson. 

As Snape droned on and on about how they were all dunderheads, and they would probably be a great disappointment yet again when it came to his class, Ginny was relieved that Del hadn't tried to talk to her again. Despite the teacher, Ginny had always found Potions to be a very interesting subject. Snape even made it more of a challenge for her to succeed, which made it that much more satisfying when she did. She listened avidly when he started to describe the different, more advanced work they would be attempting this year. Even though he was looking at everyone like he doubted any of them would succeed, Ginny was determined to prove him wrong. She had managed high marks in his class before, but this year she wanted to beat even those. She was getting thoroughly fed up with people looking at her as if she couldn't accomplish anything special. Ginny was finally ready to prove them wrong. 

Ginny smiled to herself, and Circe, sensing her train of thought, gave her a quiet encouraging hiss. 

"You have thirty minutes to complete the shield potions. I will be testing a few of them near the end of class." Snape said, looking pointedly at the Gryffindor side of the room. Colin was looking particularly terrified. 

Ginny got right to work, she had read about this particular potion ages ago and had been looking forward to brewing it. If prepared correctly, it would deflect most hexes from you for about thirty minutes. It would of course not stand a chance against truly powerful spells, such as the unforgivables, but would still come in handy during a dual. 

This was relatively more difficult than any of the other potions they had brewed, even some of the Slytherins were getting nasty comments from Snape. The ingredients were more delicate, and needed to be added at precise moments, following the order without a hitch. Otherwise the potion would freeze, boil over, turn annoyingly bright shades of pink, or melt the cauldrons completely. Ginny finished her potion, looking up from her table just in time to see Cassandra's potion freeze up and shatter the cauldron into hundreds of tiny pieces. One piece lodged itself into her arm, and she shrieked dramatically. Adam, paled beside her when he saw the blood seeping threw her tight black robes. "P-proffessor!" He shouted. 

Snape sighed, as if he had expected nothing less than at least one trip to the hospital wing today. "Someone get her to the hospital wing." He sneered. Waving his wand so the shattered cauldron was cleaned up, the piece lodged in her arm was dislodged along with the spell. Cassandra, feeling a chunk of metal being pulled out of her skin promptly fainted, falling right into Adam. Adam picked her up and raced out of the classroom. 

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your classmates incompetence." Snape added before resuming his inspection of the work. 

Ginny shook her head, _and Cassandra got put into Gryffindor why?... _Ginny had often wondered why people such as she were placed in the house that was supposed to be for the brave of heart. _There should be a house for useless people who don't think of anything but boys and clothes. _

Ginny had lately been coming to the conclusion that Gryffindor was just really for people that had no where else to go. Slytherins were clever, malicious and mostly evil. Ravenclaws were the book worms. Hufflepuffs were nice, but usually dim. That only left Gryffindor for the people who were idiotic, superficial, definitely not kind, but not clever enough to be evil. _Yes, _Ginny thought, _there was no where to put them so the hat chucked them in with me._

She was brought out of her thoughts by Snape towering over her. "Slacking off in class Miss. Weasley?" He asked silkily. 

"No sir, I'm finished." Ginny replied, smirking at his disappointed look. 

"Well than, you can be the first to test the potion." He demanded, relishing the thought of humiliating a Weasley in front of the class. Ginny shrugged, almost positive that she hadn't made a mistake. 

He took a small vial from his robes and ladled her midnight blue potion into it, looking closely for a sigh of mistakes. The whole class had stopped to watch as Ginny gulped down her concoction. 

Ginny started to panic when it seemed that nothing was happening. The potion had tasted like ice, sliding down her throat surprisingly easily. She could feel it settle in the pit of her stomach. The class watched in hushed silence, watching Ginny's face very closely for any signs of poisoning. Just as she was about to admit defeat, she felt a mini explosion somewhere in the depths of her body. She felt the icy liquid shoot through her veins, up through her arms, legs, torso and right down to the tips of her fingers and toes. Her body started to let off a faint blue glow that lasted seconds before being absorbed into her skin. Ginny didn't know how to describe the feeling. It was almost as if she was wearing an extra layer of clothes. She actually _felt_ invincible, like nothing would be able to touch her for the time being(even though she knew her shield wasn't completely impenetrable). Snape pressed his lips together, disappointed that Ginny had indeed done the potion correctly. 

"It seems you've followed the instructions to a certain degree," Snape growled, "but now we'll see how strong you managed to make it." Snape withdrew his wand, and the Gryffindors backed as far away as they could without knocking over desks. The Slytherins looked like the only thing they were missing was popcorn. 

Ginny hadn't expected him to actually hurl curses at her. Circe had jumped up onto the desk and was hissing warningly. 

"Now, if miss Weasley has made the potion effectively, she won't feel a thing." Snape drawled, rolling up his sleeves. 

"Professor.." Ginny started to protest nervously. "I don't think that is such a good idea..." The Slytherins snickered, thinking that she was scared of getting hexed. Del was looking very amused. 

"Nervous Weasley?" Snape suggested. 

"No sir, it's not that-" Before Ginny could finish Snape had bellowed "Stupefy!" 

A jet of red light shot out of Snapes wand, heading directly for Ginny's chest. Ginny stood, feet rooted to the ground, wondering how much trouble she was bound to be in in a few minutes. The spell seemed to surround Ginny, not even cracking a hole in her shield. However, instead of diminishing like it was supposed to do, the red light seemed to double in intensity. After a few seconds of whirling around Ginny, the now doubly powerful stunning spell shot back at lightning speed toward Snape. It hit him square in the stomach before he had a chance to avoid it. He then fell to the ground with a muffled 'thump' 

If someone had thought to drop a pin at that moment, everyone would have jumped at the sudden noise. No one in the class dared to breath, let alone move to help their professor. 

The first to break the silence was Delphinium, who could no longer keep in her laughter. 

"Stuff it," Ginny mumbled, glaring at her. "Has anyone ever enervated someone before?" Ginny asked the rest of the class. They either didn't hear her, and were still staring disbelievingly at the unconscious Snape, or they were shaking their heads. Ginny, who had never tried this either, was reluctant to accidentally do anymore damage to her professor. 

"Colin!" Kayla shrieked, after a bright flash of light illuminated the dungeon. 

"Come on, how many times to you get to see something like this?" He whispered excitedly, putting his faithful camera back in his bag. 

"Hey," Gloria said, in a hushed whisper, as if afraid Snape could still hear her talking. "If we don't go soon we'll be late for our next class. Since he's not really in any position to dismiss us..." 

"Yeah, lets go!" Kayla squeaked, giving Ginny a weary glace, "Who knows what Weasley will do to us with the teacher out of the way." Ginny completely ignored this, thinking instead about what she was supposed to do with an unconscious Snape. 

"And I don't want to be hear when he wakes up." Said someone else. 

With that, the class filed our of the dungeon, leaving Ginny and a grinning Del standing over the unmoving body of their professor. 

"You've really stuck your foot in it haven't you Weasley?" Del asked gleefully. 

"If you insist on staying, why don't you at least be helpful and help me find someone to enervate him." Ginny demanded. 

"Why don't you just do it?" Del asked, following Ginny out of the dungeon. Ginny locked the door, making sure no one would walk in on him, and make her situation more complicated. 

"Because I've never done it before, and I don't want to accidentally scalp him or something. I think I'm in enough trouble to last me the rest of the bloody year." Ginny mumbled miserably. 

"What did you do to that potion anyway?" Del asked, almost letting her guard down and sounding impressed. 

"I just added a few extra ingredients, I read about the different alterations you could do to that potion. I decided to try out that one. If I had known Snape would decide to shoot hexes at me, I probably wouldn't have." 

Del fell into a thoughtful silence, it seemed that everyone had left the dungeons, and their footsteps were the only noise that could be heard. 

_Thank god Snape doesn't seem to have a class right after ours._ Ginny thought relieved. Otherwise the dungeons would have been packed with curious students, making annoying commotions. 

Unfortunately for Ginny, the first people they ran into were none other than her head of house, and the headmaster. 

"Ah, Miss Weasley!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "Professor McGonagall here was told about some curious happenings in the dungeons." His eyes twinkled. "She was informed by some over excited Gryffindors that you went into a mad rage and killed the Potions Master. We thought this worth our investigations." Dumbledore looked like he was nothing more than amused, probably knowing that she really hadn't done anything harmful McGonagall however was looking at her sternly. 

"I didn't kill him!" Ginny shouted horrified. Del snorted, earning her own glare from McGonagall. 

"That is very good to hear, but if he isn't dead, what would make the other Gryffindors think this was a possibility?" 

Numerous comebacks ran through Ginny's mind, none of them were kind to her fellow housemates. She figured she would keep her opinions to herself and tell them what really happened. 

"I tried to warn him." Ginny exploded on her way up from the dungeons. 

"What did you expect? Personally I think you got off easy." Del replied, looking at Ginny with a speculative eye. 

"Hmmp" Ginny grumbled, "You call one month detention with_ Snape_ getting off easy?" 

Del just grinned, "he's not so bad if you get on his good side." 

"No, he's not so bad if your in his house." 

"True," Del said, silently wondering how someone like Ginny could have ended up in Gryffindor. _Parselmouth, good at potions, likes to torment the Dream Team, cynical. Four common traits of a true Slytherin._

Ginny looked at Del curiously, she was surprised the girl hadn't brought up the Parselmouth thing yet. No one seemed to know yet, so Del and Draco had kept it to themselves. _But why?_ Ginny asked herself. _And why is she being nice to me?_

Before she could ponder these things any further, they reached the Entrance Hall and parted ways going to their respective classes. 

After looking back on her first Potions class, Ginny couldn't help but smile. She had wanted to prove herself capable, and stand up to Snape. She had definitely accomplished both in a very short period of time. Looking down at Circe, who as perched on her arm, Ginny thought this year was starting out all right after all. (Aside from the next month of detentions) She had those training courses starting tomorrow, but she groaned at the thought of spending even more time with Snape than necessary this year. 

_**There you go, finito! I hope you enjoyed this chappie, I enjoyed writing it. Please, Please PLEASE review, even if you didn't like it review anyway :) If you want me to continue I must be fed, you can't work without food. Reviews being my food, and me having a very large appatite.**_

_**I will have the next chapter out soon, it will have Draco in it, never fear! You will get a better look at her extra training course thingy...the Trio will make their overprotective comments heard (even if no one wants to listen) and I will start leading up to the romance bit of the story. **_

_**Will Ginny notice Draco first? Or will Draco notice Ginny? What does Harry think of all this imaginary snogging that he's not a part of? How will Snape deal with being humiliated with the youngest Weasley?**_

_**thanks for reading this far ;)**_

_**cheers!**_

_**and Merry December!**_

_**Imp **_


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